


What If?

by justanoutlaw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Episode: s04e05 Breaking Glass, F/M, Hope, Memory Loss, Past, Season/Series 04, Swanfire - Freeform, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 02:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12122628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: Neal remembers things about Ingrid that Emma can't. It leads to them both wondering...what if?





	What If?

**Author's Note:**

> Jackabelle73 requested a prompt containing the phrase: “I think you forgot who wears the pants in this relationship.” Takes place during season 4. I feel that the Frozen arc may have gone a bit differently if Neal had been there. Set as though he was the one she watched the tapes with.

Emma stared at the screen, blinking a few times. She knew Ingrid? How could she not remember her? Sure, eventually, all the homes started to blend together a bit, but surely that one would stand out. She had to be about 13 or 14, not too long before she decided to run away from the system.

 

“Wait…Ingrid,” Neal mused. “I think I remember you telling me about her?”

“Really? Because I don’t remember anything.”

“You told me she was one of the last homes you were in,” he said. “The last time you ever felt hope of finding a family.”

“Wait, I actually wanted to be a family with this psycho?”

Neal chuckled. “Well, when we met, you were glad to be far away from her. You honestly don’t remember this?”

“No, she must have wiped my memory or something. What else did I tell you?”

“You lived with her for about 6 months, she was talking about adopting you. Then one night, she pushed you out in front of a car and told you to use your magic to stop it. You thought she was crazy.”

 

That still didn’t jog Emma’s memory, but it’d make sense. She didn’t know Ingrid’s agenda, but she had clearly been looking for her for a while. She wanted Emma’s magic for something and somehow she knew that one day she’d come into it.

 

“You had to know she was right,” Emma mumbled. “Son of Rumpelstiltskin.”

“I couldn’t exactly tell you that.”

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. “So, she wants me for something, but for what?”

“We’re going to figure it out.” Neal placed his hand over hers. “Belle’s doing a lot of research, you know your parents are looking for a solution with Elsa.”

“How am I even supposed to tell them about this? That I was going to be adopted by this woman, I mean…everything could’ve went differently if she had just waited and not tried to get me to come into my powers.” She chewed on her lip. “I never would’ve been in that last foster home…never would’ve ran away…”

“Is that what you wished would’ve happened? That you could’ve had a family back then?”

 

Emma paused, reflecting on his words. If Ingrid had adopted her, if she hadn’t gone psycho….she could’ve been happy, loved. Neal made it out to be that she had really loved this woman. But if she had been adopted by her, she wouldn’t have ever met Neal. There would be no Henry. No Snow or David either, she never would’ve felt the need to track them down. Four people that meant more to her than anything in the world.

 

“I wouldn’t trade you for anything,” she whispered. “So, if I had to go back in time and change things…I don’t think I would.”

“I think about that a lot,” Neal admitted. “If I hadn’t listened to August, if we had found Tallahassee.”

“We did.” She shrugged.  “It just took a little longer than we expected.”

 

Neal partially smiled and kissed her. She rested her forehead against his own and shut her eyes. Between Regina being angry with her over Marian and Robin and watching her parents with a baby, all on top of dealing with their newest residents, things had been tough. She wasn’t sure how she’d stay sane without him.

 

“Telling your parents can wait until tomorrow,” he told her. “Henry’s with Regina, let’s go get something to eat.”

“Granny’s?”

“I was thinking Chinese.”

She gave him a pointed look. “I think you forget who wears the pants in this relationship,” she teased.

He rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright. How about both?”

“Grilled cheese and lo mein? Sounds just gross enough to work.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I do accept prompts! Whether it be on here or my Tumblrs: just-an-outlaw and justanoutlawfanfiction.


End file.
